Hercules

By: Nick, Alex, Matte

Important Characters
Hercules: He was one of the greatest Greek heroes,
and is known for his strength and courage. He
believed that no one could ever defeat him. Almost
all Greece admired him.
King Eurystheus: King of Mycenae. Sent Hercules on
the Labors of Hercules.
Admetus: King of Thessaly. Hercules good friend.
Deianira: Hercules last wife. Daughter of the king
of Calydon.
Other characters:
Zeus: The god of the seas, and Hercules father.
He is also the ruler of the olympians of mount
Olympus.
Alcmene: Hercules mother.
Hera: Zeus wife. She didnt forgive Hercules for
being Zeus son.
The Centaur Nessus: Ferryman at river. Gives
Deianira some of his blood to use on Hercules.
The Birth of a Legend
Born in Thebes.
Zeus came to Alcmene, mother of Hercules, in the form of her husband,
Amphitron, who was away fighting.
Alcmene had two sons: Hercules with Zeus, and Iphicles with Amphitron.
There was a clear difference between the two. One night alcmene woke
up because of Iphicles screaming, but when she walked into the room
where they were sleeping Hercules sat with the two big snakes in his
hands.
A lot of care was taken with his education, but when there was a class he
didnt like it would be dangerous. Once he killed his music teacher, but
it was without intention, and as he usually does when he does something
bad he would feel sorry.
Later life
By the time he was 18, he had already killed the Thespian lion, a great
lion which lived in the woods of Cithaeron.
Later on he married Princess Megara of Thebans, whom he was very
devoted to.
Hera who remembered that Zeus had cheated on her and had gotten
Hercules as a son, sent a spell on him that made him go completely mad
and kill his wife and three sons.
As soon as he found out what he had done he was about to kill himself,
but his good friend Thesius stopped him and took him to Athens.
He went to the oracle to ask for what he could do to get purified, and
the priestess said that he should go to her cousin Eurystheus, King of
Mycenae.
The Labors of Hercules
Hercules went to king Eurystheus because he
would do anything to be purified.
Eurystheus gave Hercules twelve deeds that he
would have to complete. These deeds were so
difficult and dangerous that they seemed almost
impossible.
After he had completed these labors, he
continued going on adventures and doing good
deeds.
Hercules life continued
The story most known for showing Hercules character is when he visits his friend Admetus,
the King of Thessaly.
When he arrives he sees that the people there are in deep mourning, but he isnt told who
died.
Later on towards the evening when Zeus is dining with himself, he gets drunk and he then
makes one of the servants tell him who has died.
When he finds out that it was Admetus wife, Alcestis, he says that he shouldnt have been a
drunken fool when his friend was grieving.
He then figures out that to make up for his wrong doing he should go and get back Alcestis
from death.
When he gets back Admetus is in shock.
This story clearly depicts Hercules personality as the Greeks saw it, his simplicity and
stupidity, and his desire to always make up for whatever bad he has done.
Death
One day when Hercules was taking his wife, Deianira, home they came to a river where the
Centaur Nessus was carrying people across.
When Nessus was carrying Deianira over he insulted her, and Hercules shot him.
Right before Nessus died he gave Deianira some of his blood and told her to use it as a charm
if Hercules would ever love someone more than her.
One day she heard that Hercules was in love with another woman, and she thought that it
would be a good time to use the charm.
When the charm was used it caused Hercules extreme pain, and when Deianira found out
about this she killed herself. In the end he did the same.
Hercules ordered that the people around him should carry him up to Mount Oeta and build a
pile of of wood and then lay him on top of it. He then asked his follower, Philoctetes to set
the wood on fire.
Questions
1. What do you think was Hercules hardest
labor?
2. What would you have done if you had been
Hera? Would you have been jealous of Zeus
betrayal?
3. Do you think that Hercules not being able to
control his strength was a problem?
Sources:
Images:
http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/heroes-in-greek-mythology/
http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/heracles.html
http://topyaps.com/top-10-most-powerful-people-in-greek-mythology/hercules-2
http://majorolympians.com/zeus02.html
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=church&book=tragedians&story=hercules